Are You Ever Too Young for Cosmetic Surgery?

In the United States there are on average 18,000 cosmetic procedures performed on teens between the ages of 13 and 19 annually. Teens are getting all kinds of image enhancing cosmetic procedures done by the best plastic surgeons in Miami. Before and after plastic surgery photos attest to the effectiveness of Miami plastic surgery. With the increasing emphasis on beauty and perfection in society, the question becomes when is a child too young for plastic surgery?

The answer from the best plastic surgeons in Miami may surprise you. The consensus is that when a child is emotionally mature enough, self-motivated by the right reasons, and anatomically developed, they’re old enough. The first two criteria are hard to measure, but there are general developmental guidelines that every Miami cosmetic surgeon uses.

The three most common cosmetic procedures among teens are rhinoplasty (nose surgery), breast augmentation, and otoplasty (ear surgery), in that order. Certain physical features of the body develop at different times, therefore it is appropriate to have cosmetic procedures on one part of the body before another. For example, ears stop growing by age four, so any point after that the ears would be anatomically developed enough for plastic surgery. Thirteen-year-old girls’ noses are fully developed, and Miami plastic surgeons would argue that cosmetic procedures like rhinoplasty would be appropriate, provided the girl was emotionally mature and motivated by the right reasons.

Teens seeking cosmetic procedures are often motivated by bullying, a fact that disturbs even the best Miami plastic surgeons. In fact, a full 69% of prospective teen patients go under the knife as a result of bullying. Naturally, the best plastic surgeons in Miami caution parents to fully discuss their child’s motivations, guard their emotional well-being, be sure they are adequately physically developed before considering any cosmetic procedures.